Earth Pathways Showcase

Stanton Moor, is a sacred landscape on a plateau above Matlock in Derbyshire. At its heart is a stone circle known as the Nine Ladies. We can never know for certain what the people of the past did at the stone circles and to me that doesn’t matter. What if the stone circles are offering their help at this critical time? We could view them as portals opening up time, and that by entering the circle we step into a place that goes beyond time. It’s important to work with the energy that’s there, in order to keep them open. It might be helpful to see them as having once been part of a global system, a grid or network that allowed people to tap into power in a different kind of way from how we generally do today. Nevertheless when we step into that timeless place we can tap into those energies.

We are being called both to do practical political work around healing our relationship with the Earth and preventing damage, and also to work on a different level to make it more effective. It’s important to repair the crystalline energy grid because it’s like doing acupuncture to the Earth. Let’s revive and enrich our relationships with ancient circles like the Nine Ladies – or should I say Women? – as well as creating new ones for the 21st century.

A Message from the Stones © Marion McCartney

Since Parkinson’s disease stole much of my mobility I’ve had the choice of either hiding myself away at home or launching myself into the situations which call me, and, as I describe it, ‘crowd surfing life’. In doing so I generate a multiplicity of opportunities for acts of kindness. These weave together, forming part of a web of human kindness that benefits all involved. However brief the encounter is, we feel warmed by it, parting with thanks and smiles. However if I reject offers in the name of independence, the web becomes unraveled.

Part of the success of our species has been due to our tendency towards altruism, looking after every member of the tribe. Rejecting other people weakens us all. In gracefully making and accepting offers of help, we are strengthening connections, contributing to a ripple effect which will help us to find creative ways of facing the challenges ahead. Let’s value independence but let’s choose the much richer idea of inter-dependence to take us forward.

Help © Marion McCartney 2019

A retreat to invoke the spirit of Robin Hood has given me not only powerful and unforgettable experiences, but also a new word, a new concept, which I believe we desperately need in these critical times. As well as seeing ‘Hood’ as one man’s surname I suddenly became aware of the number of words ending in ‘hood’, indicating a condition, state of mind or something one might choose to join. For example we pass through childhood into adulthood, perhaps choosing parenthood, and living in a neighbourhood. So what, I wondered, would ‘Robinhood’ be like?

For me it combines the red and the green: a passion for social, global and ecological justice with love of the outdoors, particularly the greenwood, and a commitment to being out at what I call ‘wild times’, the hours around dawn and dusk. The 21st century Robinhood welcomes diversity, new archetypes: the newcomer from a foreign land, the minstrel- musician, the wily and/or wise elder, the person with a disability, the person with a foot in both camps, to name but a few. Whilst Robin Hood is a heroic individual, Robinhood invites us all to be part of a heroic band, one which also recognises the vital importance of being merry. For if you hear and respond to the call of Robinhood you will be sure of the very best companions in the most vital work. So listen...

Robinhood © Marion McCartney

When I got together with friends to buy a small piece of woodland, I was often asked what we would ‘do with it’ now that we ‘owned’ it. I realised that this attitude had led human beings in dangerous directions. Instead I see myself as being responsible for safeguarding the future of the wood, until it can rejoin the ‘Commons’, land stolen from us all by the Enclosure Acts. So I make these vows to Robin Wood:

~ I will not trudge along your paths talking and texting, but will open all my senses to you.

~ I will devote myself to getting to know you better. If people ask me whether I talk to trees I will answer that first I listen to them.

~ We will be mindful of what we harvest and take away, always considering the long-term effects of what we do.

~ I know we’ll make mistakes but we’ll make sure we learn from them.

~ For me you will be both temple and playground, a place to sit around campfires, on tree platforms, and in hammocks, to use mirrors and magnifiers to help us to see things through new eyes and new perspectives, to laugh with joy and swing with abandon.

~ We vow to make this woodland a place for celebration and dedication, for co-operation and a real sense of belonging which links us to everything, everywhere.

A Playground and a Temple © Marion McCartney

Many years ago, or perhaps just yesterday, three travellers walked into a village asking for a little food. The villagers, accustomed to scarcity, assured them that they had none to spare.

“In that case,” said the strangers, “we’ll make stone soup.”
Watched by the villagers they put three smooth stones into a cooking pot and added water.

“This is going to be a fine soup,” one of the travellers pronounced, “but a pinch of salt and a few mixed herbs would make it wonderful.” One villager thought she might have just a little and rushed off to get it. Gradually more and more was added and the villagers sat down with the newcomers to a feast.

The next morning the villagers brought food for the travellers to take on their journey. They thanked them for sharing their secret but the travellers turned to the crowd and said, “There is no secret, but this is certain: it is only by sharing that we may make a feast.” And on they went, never to be seen again. However the villagers had a whole new recipe – for more than just soup.

So do we present this as a story about clever tricksters or about the magic of sharing? By such choices we create our future.

Stone Soup retelling © Marion McCartney

Forty years ago in 1977 two Voyager space probes were launched, heading for interstellar space. On board each of them was a message intended to communicate to extraterrestrials a story of the world of humans on Earth. This took the form of golden records (like the LPs of the time). The US president at the time, Jimmy Carter, wrote: “This is a present from a small distant world, a token of our sounds, science, images, music, our thoughts and our feelings. We are attempting to survive our time so we may live into yours.” It felt like putting a message into a bottle and sending it into the cosmic ocean.

Do find out more about Voyager and the Golden Records on Wikipedia. If we were to send out a new version, what pictures and sounds from our world would you include? What message would you send? What if this is the year that, against all the odds, a faint radio signal is picked up here on Earth...

If you feel inspired to write something, do send it to us so that we can put it on the website, or even include it in next year’s diary.

Voyagers © Marion McCartney 2015

I’ve been collecting people’s dreams of a better, fairer world, because we need to put these visions into words. Please help me reach my target of 1001 by sending yours to me at dreamthefuture.org.uk and the Earth Pathways website – They can be of any length, but here I’ve chosen a few of the shorter ones:

I dream of a world . . .

. . .where all human beings respect one another and the natural environment, and seek happiness in experiences, relationships and sharing.

. . . where in both easy times and hard times people turn to each other, not against each other.

. . . where everyone has so much spirit that they choose calm over conflict.

. . . where people have stopped being what they think they should be and find joy love and freedom in being who they really are.

. . . where everyone lives together in peace, abundance and self-awareness. . . . where we no longer look towards material possessions for happiness and find it within ourselves and each other.

. . . where the love of our beautiful planet is at the heart of what we do and the decisions we make.

Dream the Future © Marion McCartney

This is an urgent message from the future and it's a message for you.

We are the as yet unborn and we’re asking you not to give up on us.

We’re not clear what happens in the first half of your 21st century but what we do know is that your actions, your choices, your beliefs, play a crucial role in the direction of the Earth's history. We tell stories about you and people like you who refused to give up on the future, about individuals, groups and communities who held on to their visions of a better world in spite of all apparent evidence to the contrary. We ask you to be part of those stories. We ask you to encourage each other, to be aware of how devastating a discouraging attitude can be at key moments in any movement for change. We ask you to support each other in small ways as well as grand ones. We ask you to inspire each other with the value and importance of what you are all doing. We ask you to spread news of inventions, projects, ideas which give people an idea how good it would be to live not on a different planet but in a different world. You are our ancestors and we call on you to play your part, to recognise your responsibilities and to rise to the occasion. Hold on to hope as we do. Our hope lies in you.

Message Relayed © Marion McCartney

Imbolc - First Stirrings

This time of year has much to teach us about the process of change. Although our rational minds tell us that the days are getting longer they can also seem so bleak and cold so that it would be easy to believe that winter was eternal. Here is where we need to remind ourselves that change has two forms: continuous and discontinuous and the tipping point can be reached by relatively few small actions. Edison pointed out the large number of apparent failures who never realised how close to success they were when they gave up.

At this time of year new growth is vulnerable to adverse conditions, just as new projects and enterprises are. Don't wait for the bandwagon to start moving: the most valuable thing you can do is to offer support and encouragement at this early stage, so choose at least one action you can take.

Of course, before action everything starts with a dream, so allow yourself to imagine the world you would really like future generations to live in. Focus on one aspect of it and complete the sentence: “I dream of a world where…”

On the Earth Pathways website you will find many suggestions for celebrating Imbolc, including composing a story and a chant, as well as finding the special place which you are encouraged to visit regularly to observe the changes in nature.

Imbolc © Marion McCartney

Spring Equinox – Balance

The balance of day and night links to the theme of balance and fairness in our world. If we allow ourselves to think about it we must accept that a standard of living and use of the Earth's precious resources which simply could not be possible for everyone on Earth is quite unjustifiable. If in doubt, imagine yourself trying to explain it to someone living in extreme poverty here or having made radio contact with some distant world.

So add to your initial vision of a better future what a world based on fair shares would be like.

The stories we tell can seem to present unchangeable truths, so to retell them encourages us to be open to new possibilities.

Inspired by Shekinah Mountainwater’s reworking of the story of Demeter and Persephone, I further re-imagined it so that it was the loss of her daughter which caused Demeter to loosen her control of nature, allowing in the cycles of life, and thus human beings.

Try reworking a traditional story or allow one to start something like this: “Once there was a young woman who seemed to have a perfect life, with everything she needed. However one day she woke up and realised ….”

Compose a simple chant which represents the essence of the Equinox for you. Sing it out loud or in your head, in the shower, in the woods, whenever you can.

Spring Equinox © Marion McCartney

Beltane – Passion

Let's reclaim passion from commerce where businesses claim to be passionate about anything from pork to printer ink. So it's worth exploring what you mean by passion, what it means to you to be passionate about something.

Beltane is a time for lovers, so why not write a passionate love letter to the Earth, Gaia? What would you promise her? How might she reply?

With sunrise at about 5:30am it's an ideal time to experience a whole day, from first light to dusk, on a Wonder Wander. You set out before dawn with map, compass and phone wrapped up in an emergency parcel. You wander with the sole purpose of observing and appreciating the world around you. If this idea seems too daunting or impractical then try to experience the whole dawn chorus and see spring flowers.

Develop your vision of the future by describing how people have developed a richer happier relationship with this beautiful planet.

Beltane © Marion McCartney

Summer Solstice – Stretching the Limits

Now we are experiencing an extreme period in the cycle, a good time to stretch our limits. Try to experience a sunrise!

Deep Time work encourages us to gain fresh perspective by finding our place in the history of the Earth and of human beings. It helps me to see how recently we have moved off course. What would it mean to act like ancestors?

Let’s stretch the limits of our dreams – and our nightmares. Create two scenarios for the future at opposite extremes. Relax and experience each of them, then write a letter from someone in each future to yourself now in the present day.

If you knew that you could not fail, what action would you take or project would you start for the healing of our relationship with the Earth? Go forward ten years, and experience your project having been successful beyond your wildest dreams. Interview yourself about how it happened.

One of the greatest gifts you can offer is to be able to lead an impromptu spiral dance in any situation: a hold up in a protest march, at a festival, a city park or open space. It’s simple enough for everybody to be able to join in, but done with a conscious intention to connect with others and making eye contact as you pass them. It can be a powerful heart-warmer.

Summer Solstice © Marion McCartney

Lammas – Celebrate often!

Lammas, when people used to celebrate the early harvest by baking a loaf with the new grain, is a good time to remember the vital importance in any group (including families) of celebrating as you go along: progress made, people's contributions, their commitments for the future, how the group has developed, lessons learnt. Toasting is an easy way to do this, as is presenting awards, both serious and lighthearted.

How might people of the future celebrate a variety of occasions in a colourful, imaginative sustainable way? Add this to the pictures of the future which you're building up.

Going to ‘green’ festivals combines celebration with opportunities to learn from a variety of enthusiastic experts, to collect information and contacts. Ask yourself what you can share with others – your enthusiasm?

Equally importantly you can experience something of what it might be like to live in a different way amongst people who generally take pleasure in helping each other and working co-operatively. You don't even need to camp: there are plenty of one-day events which can give you a similar experience.

However you do it, recognise the importance of keeping in touch with projects and groups all over the world whose work inspires you. We are a new form of network at a vital time in the Earth’s history. Discover your unique role.

Lammas © Marion McCartney

Autumn Equinox - Balance

It's important as we mark the end of harvest to pay careful attention to what we've learned and to develop our skills in areas which may be a challenge but which are certainly useful.

Relatively few people will admit to enjoying meetings, and yet we are lucky to be here at a time when new creative, effective and enjoyable ways of planning and reaching decisions are being constantly developed and refined.

As players of any sport benefit from practice of basic techniques so it's equally important to gain experience of new styles of collaboration, including consensus decision-making, open space and world cafe sessions, before they are needed in a crisis. These new ways of working together could well be part of our next evolutionary leap.

The balance which the Equinox brings to our attention is also the balance between ‘outer’ work and inner sustenance. The all or nothing approach which guilt-trips many keen new activists must be countered by a more human friendly sensibly paced approach. We will need people to work for change all their lives but not at the same level of intensity. Excessive demands create unsustainable groups.

So let’s encourage each other to get outdoors and observe the colourful changes of autumn.

Autumn Equinox © Marion McCartney

Samhain - In Time

Samhain is traditionally the time to a time to pay attention and respect to those who came before us on this Earth, both recently and back to the very first humans. We can skip back through time to those early humans. If they could, what might they want to say to us? In your imagination hear their words. As we go forward through the generations what ‘gifts’ do they offer us? Remember that you are part of a direct line to these very first humans. Perhaps it's a combination of luck and adaptability which has helped this line to survive. Take those gifts and use them.

Among the greatest dangers facing us is being trapped in cynicism and despair. Those who, for their own purposes, resist change often persistently deny a need for change and then suddenly conclude that it is now too late to do anything about it apart from, for example, looking for a magic techno-fix. According to Mark Stevenson cynicism is like smoking: you think it makes you look cool but it actually harms both you and all those around you.

Enjoy a wood fire outdoors, or a wood-burning stove. Dream…

Samhain © Marion McCartney

Winter Solstice - A Change of Heart

The story of a Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens offers us some powerful insights into transformational change. Scrooge and Marley's ghost look out of the window and see spirits wailing in agony as they hover over destitute homeless people. Marley explains that it is because now they can see so clearly what needs doing in the world and how they could have made a difference. Having rejected that opportunity they are condemned to eternal anguish and regret. To me that this is a great challenge: to act, to make a difference in the physical world while we are in our bodies, while we have the chance.

Scrooge is horrified to learn what people will say about him when they hear of his death. In a very personal and private piece of writing record what you would like people to say about you. Then make it so.

The book is also about the possibility of quite sudden transformational change. Buildup to the change is almost imperceptible, like water turning to ice. Look back on changes, personal community and global, that you have experienced and reflect on them as well as recording them in a book of changes. As Nelson Mandela said, “It always seems impossible until it's done.”

What if this is the beginning of a wonderful story of human beings living cooperatively and harmoniously with many adventures ahead? Let’s make it so!

Winter Solstice © Marion McCartney